Conveying apparatus



Patented Aug. 9, [898. J. T. COWLEY.

CONVEYING AP PABATUS.

(Application filed Feb. 17, 1895.)

(No Model.)

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No. 608,579. Patented Aug. 9, I898.

. J. T. COWLEY.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

(Apphcshon filed Feb 17 1898) 2 Sheets$haet 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES.

PATENT EEi cE;

JAMES T; COWLEY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNO R To THE L SON CONSOLIDATED STORE sEEvIcE COMPANY, OF NEWARK,

NEW JERSEY.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of was BatentNo. 608,579, dated August 9, 1898.

Application filed February 17, 1898. Serial No. 670,621. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J MES T. COWLEY, of Lowell, in the county ofMiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in conveying apparatus, a'nd especiallyto the class of conveying apparatus known as cable carriers, and it has for its object to provide means on the several tracksconverging at the terminal stationwhereby carriers belonging to a certain track can engage only the propelling-cable of said track when placed thereon at the terminal station and be propelled to the station to which they belong My invention consists of-certainnovel features hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a construction embodying my invention, Figure 1 represents a side view in perspectiveof a line composed of an upper and a lower track entering the terminal station 1 and representing a carrier placed upon the upper return-track and moved forward toward the mechanism which operates the grippingmechanism on the carrier to grip the cable. Fig. 2 is a side viewinperspective of part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 and showing the carrier moved beyond the position shown in Fig. l,with the gripping mechanism around the cable preparatory to'gripping the same. Fig. 3 is a side view in perspective and'lookf ing at the front endof thecarrier and showing the position of the parts the same as shown in Fig. 2, with the gripping mechanism about to grip the cable. Fig. i is a plan view of the carrier. Fig. 5 is a side view in perspective taken from the opposite side from that shown in Fig. l,with the carrier on the upper returntrack and moved forward toward the mechanism for actuating the gripping mechanism to grip the'cable, Fig. 6 is a side view in perspective taken on the opposite side from that shown in.Fig.'5 and illustrating the carrier in a position beyond that shown in Fig. 5

with the grip grip.

closed and the cable below the is adapted to engage with the cable Dfrun ning over the pulleys E, mounted in the lugs E on said standard 13 and connected to and driven by suitable driving mechanism. The carrier C is provided with a cover 0, held in a closed position by a suitable spring-catch, which is adapted to be operated by a push- ,button 0 to release the cover 0, and the spring 0 will throw up the 'cover 0 and open the interior ofthe carrier.

' F represents suitable switch pins or lugs on the carriers by which the carriers are switched at their respective stations. These lugs are placed in difierent positions on said carriers to correspond with switch-guides at diiferent stations along the line, so that the carriers may, be switched at the stations to which they belong. 1

- The lever G is provided with a pin G, upon which: the gripping-jaws G are pivotally mounted, and said lever is journaledin suitable lugs :G on therear side of the carrier. These jaws G2 are each provided with a camslot G (see Fig. 3,) which work upon the stud G secured to the end of the carrier, and said cam-slots G are of such form that the jaws ,will be opened,-Figs. 2 and 3, as the lever G is lowered in position to cause the jaws G2 to engage with the cable D. When the lever G is released, the spring G located at the back of the carrier and around the lever G, between the lugsG will operate to raise the lever G and close the jaws G upon the propelling cable D.

The construction of the jaws above de- It is a plate secured to the bottom of the carrier by screws l l, and said plate is provided with ears 1P, which are adapted to pass under the rails A of the track A and hold the carrier thereon, as said ears extend beyond said rails A, excepting where said rails A are bulged at A to permit a carrier being Ilaeed on said rails.

ll represents friction-rollers mounted upon the screws ll. and free to revolve thereon, and the object of these rolls is to prevent friction when the carrier is traveling along the track, around the corners, and into the stations.

The rails A are secured to the brace A located near the standard 11, and to the upper end of said brace A there is secured a camplate A, pivotally secured to the vertical arm A of the brace A by the pin A. The pin A secured to the upper end of the arm A, extends through the slot A and guides said camplate A in its movements, as hereinafter described.

On the pin A", journaled in the bracket A is a latch A mounted on said pin and normally in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and connected with the pin A on the camplate A by reason of the spring A which is adapted to act on said latch and hold it in the above-described position. Fixed fast on said latch A is a plate A, having a slot A, with which the pin G on the under side of the lever G is adapted to register when the carrier is placed upon its proper track to be returned to the station from which it came.

It will be understood that a number of these lines enter the terminal station, and the operator in returning the carrier should place it upon its proper return-track, when it will go to the station from which it was sent. Now if the cashier at the terminal station places the proper carrier upon the proper track, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the pin G will pass through the slot A without affecting the engaging position of the latch A with the pin 1 so that said cam-plate A is held in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and the lever G, as the carrier is pushed forward by the cashier, is depressed, thereby causing the gripping-jaws G to move into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 around the cable l), and as the lever G passes under the end of the cam-plate A the jaws Gr close upon and grip the cable D by reason of the spring t", and the carrier is propelled to the station from which it came.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and t5, the carrier 0 (shown in said figures) does not belong on the track on which it has been placed and is pushed by the cashier in the usual mannor to the position shown in Fig. 5, and the end of the lever G passes under the camplate A. As the pushing on said carrier continues, the pin G which does not register with the slot- A, will move the latch A from its engaging position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 to that shown in Fig. (3, and the cam.- plate A" moves upwardly, as shown, and the lever G, moving under said cam-plate, is not depressed, and consequently the jaws G of the gripping mechanism are not opened and lowered around the cable D in position to grip said cable, but remain closed above the cable, and consequently the carrier does not engage the cable 1) and is not propelled along the track. The cashier observing that the carrier is not propelled along the track moves it rearwardly, and in said rearward move ment the end of the lever G will strike on the rear end A of the cam-plate A", which causes the front end of said cam-plate A" to move downwardly, and as the front end of said cam-plate moves downwardly the latch A moves over the pin A and holds said camplate in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and In this position when the carrier is placed on its own track the gripping mechanism is operated as the pin Gr passes through the slot A, and the gripping-jaws grip the cable, and the carrier returns to the salesman, from whom it was sent. The guide-rod I serves to steady the carrier as the lever Gr passes under the canrplate A. The carriers are sent to the cashiers station from the salcsmens stations on the lower track D, composed of two opposite rails B, and said rails are bulged at B the same as the track A at A (see Fig. 1) in order to allow the carriers to be removed, as the distance between the rails 13 at 13 is greater than the distance between the ears ll. of the plate ll, secured to the bottom of the carrier. The rods 13", located on opposi tc sides of the rails 13', serve to keep the carriers on the forwardiilg-track as they pass into the eashiers station.

13 represents a suitable bumper against which the carriers strike when cmning in on the forwarding-track l3, and I) is a suitable brace connecting the rails ll.

It will be understood that the pins G and slots A are so arranged that the pin G on the carriers belonging to a certain track will register with the slot A on the latch A of said track, so that the gripping mechanism of the carriers belonging to a certain track will engage only the cable of said track.

From the above description it will be understood that although several eable-lines, each composed of an upper and lower track and similarly constructed, with the exception of the location of the slot A, enter the ter1ninal station from different parts of the store yet by the mechanism above described, even though the carriers become mixed at the terminal station and are placed 011 the returntrack of the wrong line, the gripping mcchanism of the carriers wrongly placed will not operate to engage the cable of and be propelled on the wrong track. Consequently the carriers running into the terminal or cashiers station on the several lines can only be pro pelled on the tracks to which they belong to the ation from which they were sent.

I do not limit myself to the arrangement and construction shown, as the same may be IIO variedwithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus ascertained the nature of my invention and set forth a construction embodying the same, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a conveying apparatus, the combination of the tracks and propelling-cable with a terminal station into which said tracks enter, carriers adapted to travel on said tracks each provided with a gripping mechanism for engaging the cable, and grip-operating mechanism on the return-track at said terminal station, the gripping mechanism of the carriers belonging to a certain track and the said grip-operating mechanism being provided with registering parts whereby only carriers belonging to a certain track can grip the cable of said track and be propelled thereon.

2. In a conveying apparatus, the combination of the tracks and propelling-cable with a terminal station into which the tracks enter, carriers adapted to travel on said track and each provided with gripping-jaws for engaging'the cable, a lever connected to said grippingjaws and adapted to operate the same, a grip-operating mechanism consisting of a cam on the return-track at said terminal station for operating said lever, and a device for normally retaining said cam in its operative position, the said lever connected to the gripping-jaws 0n the carriers belonging to a certain track and ,the said retaining device being provided with registering parts whereby only carriers belonging to a certain track can grip the cable of said track and be propelled thereon.

3. In a conveying apparatus, the combina tion of the tracks and propelling-cable with the terminal station into which the tracks enter, carriers adapted to travel on said track and each provided with gripping-jaws for en gaging the cable, a lever connected to said gripping-jaws and adapted to operate the same, a grip-operating mechanism consisting of a cam on the return-track at said terminal station for operating said lever, and a latch for normally holding said cam in its operative position, the said lever connected to the gripping-jaws on the carriers belonging to a certain track and the said latch being provided with registering parts whereby only carriers belonging to a certain track can grip the cable of said track and be propelled thereon.

4. In conveying apparatus, the combination of the tracks and propelling-cable with a terminal station into which the tracks enter, carriers adapted to travel on said track and each provided with gripping-jaws for engaging the cable, a lever connected to said gripping-jaws and adapted to operate the same to actuate the gripping-jaws of the carriers to bring said gripping-jaws into position to grip the cable and provided with a projecting pin, a grip-operating mechanism consisting of a cam on the return-track at-said terminal for operating said lever, a latch for normally holding said cam in its operating position and provided'with a slot through which the said pin passes to cause the engagement of the gripping-jaws and the cable, and mechanism located on the carriers for causing the said gripping-jaws to grip the cable, the said pin on the carriers belonging to a certain track being adapted to register with the slot of the latch of said track, whereby only the carriers belonging to a certain track can grip the cable of said track and be propelled thereon.

5. In a conveying apparatus, the combination of the tracks and propelling-cable with a terminal station into which said tracks enwrong return-track to release said grip-operatin g mechanism and thereby prevent the engagement of the grippingmechanism on the carrier with the propelling-cable of said track.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of,

February, 1898.

JAMES T. COWLEY. Witnessesz- A. L. MESSER, C. A. STEWART. 

